Introduction
On 27 August 2002, a Cessna 152, registration ZS-KEO, was involved in an accident during a solo training flight at Port Elizabeth aerodrome. The aircraft operated under a valid Certificate of Approval held by Algoa Flying Club. The accident occurred at 1520Z on Runway 26 in CAVOK meteorological conditions with a wind from 240° magnetic at 12 knots.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot, conducting his first solo circuit, was in the process of landing when the accident occurred. According to the pilot's statement, he flared too late during the landing attempt, causing the aircraft to bounce back into the air. He attempted to flare again for a second landing, but the aircraft again bounced. Following the second bounce, the aircraft was in a nose-high attitude. The pilot then pushed the control column forward and applied power. This resulted in a hard landing on the nose gear, which caused the nose-gear fork to fail. The propeller was subsequently damaged. The aircraft came to rest in the centre of the runway with no further incident.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft, a Cessna 152, was properly maintained according to available documentation. The last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) was certified on 8 July 2002 at 11,234.1 airframe hours, and the accident occurred at 11,307.8 airframe hours. The pilot held a valid student pilot license and had a total flying experience of 33.0 hours, with 6.6 hours on the Cessna 152 type. There were no other occupants on board, and no injuries were sustained.
Probable Cause
The student pilot caused the aircraft to bounce on landing and used inappropriate technique to recover, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose gear and caused the nose wheel fork to fail.